Waterways of Languedoc: the Herault River, Canal du Midi & Etang de Thau
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port
Sete, France
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activityLevel
Easy Activity
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excursionType
All
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wheelchairAccessible
No
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startingAtPrice
$180
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minimumAge
Information Not Currently Available
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duration
Approximately 4 Hours
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mealsIncluded
Meals not included
Leave Sète by coach with a panoramic drive along the coastal road to Grau d'Agde. Here, you will board a boat to explore some of the waterways of Languedoc.
The Herault River runs through the Gard and Herault regions, running from north to south down to the Mediterranean Sea.
Entering the UNESCO World Heritage site Canal du Midi -- brainchild of Pierre Paul Riquet, Baron of Bonrepos and feudal lord of the Languedoc -- you will learn all about the construction of the canal. The project that was first envisaged by the Romans, but wound up in the "too hard" basket. The Canal du Midi was completed in 1680 and was originally a trade route. Today it is used almost exclusively for sightseeing, as it crosses a nature reserve and some of the most picturesque scenery in southern France.
You will pass the circular lock at Prades and the Bagnas Lock before entering the Etang de Thau Lagoon, famous for its oyster beds. The Thau Lagoon has a surface area of some 20,000 acres. It is a natural feature, formed when a section of the coastal plain collapsed.
Leave the boat in the town of Marseillan and reboard your coach for the drive back to the ship.
Please note: This tour is very popular and typically sells out. Alternative tours with similar content may be available, including Canal du Midi: A UNESCO Partner Tour. Some places along the Canal du Midi are less wooded than usual due to a disease that affects plane trees. Participants must walk 200 yards to reach the boat, with five steps to climb.